Forget about its reputation as a camp classic; this first-rate study of the most dysfunctional siblings in cinema history is a classic, period. Bette Davis is unforgettable as a washed-up child star who passes the time by torturing her invalid sister Joan Crawford, and Robert Aldrich's direction crosses horror with film noir to create one of the most chilling yet darkly comic masterpieces of all time. With the great, underrated Victor Buono in probably his most memorable role (he was Oscar-nominated as supporting actor, as was Davis, for actress).

Aspiring pianist Christine Radcliffe (Bette Davis) is reunited with her lover, cellist Karel Novak (Paul Henreid), whom she feared had died in a Nazi concentration camp. Unfortunately, she’s now the mistress of renowned composer Alexander Hollenius (Claude Rains), who is as creative manipulating human emotions as he is conducting an orchestra. Featuring a soaring score by the legendary Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Lovers of classical music will be swept away by the rapturous music; lovers of classic Hollywood will relish the arch tête-a-tête between Bette Davis and, at his vitriolic best, the incomparable Claude Rains.

This well-crafted thriller provides a double dose of deception with Bette Davis playing twin sisters driven apart by love and money. When one kills the other to assume her identity, she faces hurdles in the form of two boyfriends - police sergeant Karl Malden and unscrupulous playboy Peter Lawford.